


You roll with people long enough, pretty soon you'll start thinkin' like em.

by SaintsEmpressJae



Category: Saints Row
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-09-20
Packaged: 2018-01-19 04:03:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1454671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaintsEmpressJae/pseuds/SaintsEmpressJae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My Boss Jae's encounters with a one Troy Bradshaw through the years, preSR-SR3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**All credit to Volition, Deep Silver, THQ, for the making of the wonderful Saints Row franchise. I effin LOVE IT ALL.**

**Falling for You**

He lit his cigarette and inhaled, thankful for the moment of silence. The church was unusually crowded as a dozen new faces passed, the last, a more familiar one, giving a slight nod. A chuckle echoed down the hall as Troy turned his attention back to the streets. They'd been busy, but it'd been a good day, a good start to their recruitment process. It seemed everyone wanted in on being able to reclaim their turf and he had to give them all credit for enthusiasm, even some of their motives made him  _almost_  rethink personal morals, as he remembered  _his_  reason for joining the Saints. He frowned as he took another drag of his cigarette, while two different voices filled the foyer of the building.

"You know we'll help her out tomorrow, but you shouldn't be out dealing with this sort of thing, baby girl, I'm gonna have a talk with that old man."  
"Thanks Julius, I'll let her know...and... _I_  only came because he's been completely sacked since Tuesday,  _you know him_. Once you get going though, maybe  _he'll_  take the opportunity to sober up a little…"

A young woman's soft voice and forced laugh brought him back to his senses, as two figures appeared behind him. A faint smile appeared under the shadow of a hood as he lifted his head in return, squinting slightly, trying to get a better look at the hidden face. The man next to her patted her head and smiled, quickly hardening his face as he looked down at Troy,

"I'm gonna drive her home, think you can look after Johnny and the new guys?"

He took another drag of his cigarette and shrugged, "Canonization's about the only time Johnny's remotely restrainable, so..."

Julius laughed and the woman brought a hand to her mouth. Troy's eyes widened momentarily as he noticed she was trying to contain her own laughter, and he wondered if she knew the guy they were referring to. He opened his mouth to ask, but quickly relinquished the thought, opting for merely waving his hand and reassuring the older man, "Sure thing, Jules, we'll be alright."

"I'll be back in an hour."

Troy watched as the two began to walk away and he could hear when she finally let it out, wrapping an arm around the man's and giggling like a child. "So who's that,  _Jules_?"  
"Hah, I can think of worse nicknames from you, and that's Troy, he's my right hand."

She turned her head slightly as they rounded the corner and he could feel her eyes on him, even with her hood. He straightened quickly and averted his gaze, knowing she had caught him staring, as she confirmed his suspicion with another girlish giggle before the duo walked out of sight.

Troy ran a hand through his hair and stretched, flicking the cigarette butt and thinking nothing more of the exchange. A few loud thuds of flesh hitting flesh made him grin and shake his head slightly,  _that son of a bitch started without him!_  He quickly jogged inside, hoping to get a few good hits in, after all- there was something justifiably fun about beating the shit out of new blood, and these wanna be gangsters.

* * *

_"Jules, you sure about this?'_

He looked through the window at the back of a young man flipping the bird to a group of older folks crossing the street. The day had passed, and the irritation that he was the last in on this was starting to come through his tone.

"Her uncle says she's more than good, Johnny does too." Julius chuckled at the man's actions outside as well as the one before him. "We could use a good tuner if we're gonna get this started right."  
 _"Yeah, but she's just a kid."_  
"So is Johnny. Shit, so are you."  
" _Yeah but,-_ " he turned around to protest, but was met with the palm of Julius's hand.  
"Her uncle's taught her everything he knows, hell, she's been fixing cars since she was 8. The whole family's in the game, their spa is where we're gonna lock down that money- I just met with their advisor to confirm it yesterday. She knows what's going down, and she's tough. Just go check her out all right, and don't judge their books by the covers."  
He grabbed a cigarette from his pack and lit it, taking in a long drag and sighing, _  
"Yeah, yeah- Alright."_

He stepped outside and took another pull. The sun had already set as the street lamps perked on, illuminating the darkening asphalt as the night began to settle in. He fiddled around in his pockets, the stick barely hanging from his lip, as he fumbled with his keys before throwing them to Johnny. He opened the passenger side and climbed in.  
 _"Alright kid, let's go see this friend of yours."_

"Fuck right."

Johnny swung to the driver's side and started the car, as Troy flicked the rest of his cigarette out the window, " _Just, try not to get us killed alright?_ "  
The other man laughed, "What, it's like, 15 minutes away? no promises."  
Troy merely shook his head as he lit another from his pack.

He pretended to listen intently as Johnny had filled him in on everything about the new girl. She'd lived over this day spa her family had owned for years, the business that had recently become affiliated with the Saints. Her uncle, the head of the everything to do with the family, had taught her everything he knew about his love of cars and his younger days as a tuner, seeing as his own kid, had no interest in the like, and his wife  _would never allow her precious child to be near anything so vile like gangs_. He spat the last words out with such loathing, and a somewhat remorse, which made Troy wonder.

 _"So. His wife doesn't like gangs?"_  
"Died cuz of 'em."  
 _"But he's running a ring?"_  
"Yup."  
 _"And he taught his niece to tune?"_  
"Yup."  
 _"But not his own kid."_  
"Right."  
 _"Because his wife said no?"_  
"Uh huh."  
 _"But…his niece's mom was like 'psh, go for it?'"_

"Look, Lin's mom and uncle go way back, they grew up in this shit. Hell, her mom is the number one masseuse in his Spa. Just don't  _ask_  to do to that dirty shit or she'll beat the fuck outta you." Johnny laughed, stopped the car and parked it out front. "Shit, the closest thing to legit for them is Jae. and they want to keep it that way."

 _"Who's Jae?"_  
He lit another cigarette.  
"Dude's kid."  
 _"Right, the " **sheltered**   **one**."_  Troy made air quotes as he scoffed and unbuckled his seatbelt. Johnny slammed a defensive hand to Troy's chest just a little too hard, as he looked at the man over his sunglasses.  
"Yo, don't say shit about Jae, there's a reason for all that." Johnny got out of the car.  
Troy followed suit,  _"Oh yeah man, like what?"_  
Johnny just waved him off, "Yo, you finished with the 20 questions? Let's go.  
Troy raised the cigarette and Johnny shook his head and headed inside a building the other was all too familiar with.

Sure, he had only been  _in_ this building a handful of times, but he had become extremely acquainted with the surrounding streets and alleyways over the past years. He'd had his first stakeout here, albeit for nothing he recalled, chuckling at the conversation they'd actually had with the kingpin  _himself_  that day. They'd been watching the family for decades, but the Mendez's knew their shit,  _and how to cover it_ , which only served to intrigue him further. So when the Chief had told everyone of his new idea, Troy quickly seized the opportunity.

He admired the newly renovated exterior and the lavish signs- he didn't remember it looking quite so nice the last time he'd been around almost a year ago. As he finished his 3rd cigarette in the last hour, he remembered Julius saying that although the Uncle may run the family, the money is really in the kid. Troy figured he must have meant the niece, because from every report he'd read, and from what Johnny had told him, dude's own kid probably didn't know anything about the game. Troy wondered just how long he'd have to be playing  _this game_ as he pushed opened the door to the parlor and entered. The edge of the door caught on something as it toppled and a woman squealed before something heavy landed in his arms. Troy shuffled, arms and legs wobbly as he tried to keep both himself and the object upright. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wiggled, effectively throwing their weight, and his back, into the door frame, and causing him to fall to the ground with her in his lap. _  
_

_"Holy shit."_

**"OH MY GOD."**

The young woman immediately stood and straightened her outfit, simple plaid skin-tight pants and a black and yellow 'Stilwater' t-shirt, tied and dangerously riding up the left side of her body. She knelt back down beside him as she fixed her braids.

"I'm so sorry! Usually Johnny only comes by himself. But I should have been expecting you too….." her voiced trailed off in his head as he met her eyes. Beautiful hazel gems filled with concern and laced with embarrassment met his deep green ones. He could see her lips moving, but heard nothing as his eyes traced her features, her high cheekbones, infectious smile, and the most jagged scar going across her face, disrupting the symmetry of her beauty in an alluring, enticing way. Her chuckle brought him back to his senses as she was trying to turn him around, effectively lifting his shirt over his back. He took a sharp breath.

"Ouch. Don't move. I'll be right back."

He shuffled slightly and winced as she ran behind the desk and came back with a first aid kit. Her laugh had sounded familiar, but as he was sorting his thoughts, a cold painful spritz hit his back,

_"Ow! Damn girl!"_

"It's just peroxide. Don't be a baby and sit still."

She chuckled again, and he couldn't help but smile. He closed his eyes and tried to obey the girl despite the pain she had caused, and was causing, just as footsteps cascaded down the stairs.

"The fuck!?"

"Cuz, you okay!?"

Troy immediately tried to stand, though a gentle but firmly placed hand kept him in his place.  
"I was trying to fix that light," she pointed above them before going promptly back to her task, "But he ran into my ladder, and we both fell. We're okay, aside from this scratch that I'm patching up." She set the gauze and lowered his shirt, "There."

Johnny laughed slyly and the girl helped Troy to his feet, smiling warmly at him.

"Lucky son of a bitch, I can't ever get her to touch  _me_  like-"

"Shut up Johnny!"

She dropped Troy's hand immediately and blushed. Troy smiled, chuckling inwardly at her embarrassment, as his eyes went back to the other man,

" _Jussayin_ , whatever it'd take to get you to fall for.."

The other woman threw a fist into Johnny's shoulder, "She said shut up.  **Listen**." Johnny rubbed the spot and pouted. The two argued while her soft voice brought his attention back to his side.

"Thanks for saving me, I owe ya."

He met her eyes and rubbed the back of his neck,  _" Wasn't particularly graceful, so I wouldn't mention it."_

She laughed as she walked by to grab a bag off the desk, setting a pair of glasses on her head and hushing the other two before addressing him once more, "I'm assuming you're here for Lin, she's with Johnny." the girl said, nodding to her cousin standing in the stairway next to the Asian, "I'll be upstairs until you guys get back." she sorted some papers between the desk and her bag.

"It might get late cuz, don't wait up."  
"Psh, you know her, she never listens."  
Troy listened to the duo, slightly confused, "Wait..so who're  _you_?" He asked the woman he 'saved'.

Silence.

Johnny doubled over in laugher before starting for the door as Lin stared Troy down.  
"No one  _you_  need to know."  
" _I'm Jae._ " She quickly shooed her cousin to Johnny and out the door, while offering a hand to Troy.

"Wait.. ** _who_?** "

She raised and eyebrow at him, "Julius didn't tell you?"

He returned her questioning gaze.

She shook her head, "It's really not a big deal, Troy."

He crossed his arms,  _"_ But you know _my name?"_

"I think it's safe to assume I know a little more than  _just your name_  at this point."

 _"And why's that?"_  he found himself growing increasingly irritated at her tone.

"Lots of privledges come with being the daughter of a Kingpin." she held out her hand once more, "I'm  **Jae**.  _Raul's daughter_."

He shot her an eye and scoffed,  _"Wait, the spoiled, sheltered kid?"_  He waved her off.

She rolled her eyes, "Being a smart ass to the financial advisor of your top source of income isn't a wise decision, Mr. Bradshaw." She quickly shoved him outside with the other two, promptly shutting the door in his face.

_"Wha.."_

He stood for a second, taking in everything that she and Johnny had said, and what Julius had said earlier. Don't judge their books...the top advisors...sheltered.. _the daughter_ …. **Jae**...holy shit... Chief'll wanna hear this.

_"Hey! Wait!"_

He heard more than one chuckle as he pounded the front door several times before turning around to the duo awaiting him with grins on their faces.

_**Fuck.** _

* * *

Lin took a hard left as Johnny hooted from the back and Troy's cigarette flew out of his hand. He had to hand it to the girl, she  _really_  knew her shit, and she was fucking  **good.**  Julius had offered assistance in helping her requisition some products from the rival garages, but once they'd hit the first shop, Troy realized that it was just another night of the older man bragging and showing off another banger, as Julius liked to do with the aces he had hidden up his sleeve, just like Troy had gone through with Johnny and Dex previously.

The trio managed to knock out all four places she had in mind with little effort. Lin really did her homework with the parts she was trying to get her hands on, figuring out the optimal time to break into the lots and seizing the opportunity to the fullest benefit. With more than enough time on their hands, Lin and Johnny tossed around the idea of hitting another garage for kicks, and with Troy's final agreeing word, they set their course for the other side of the bridge.

 _"_ Haha! So you're quite the Casanova huh buddy?!" Johnny ruffled his hair and laughed loudly.

_"Yeah yeah- Bite me Frosty."_

_"_ Whoa whoa, no need to be bitter at me cuz  _you're_  a dumbass. I tried tellin ya in the car that-"

" _Yeah yeah..I got it. Now.."_

The car lighter popped and Troy set his cigarette on his lip, puffing a few times before returning the lighter to its place and turning his attention to the driver,  _"So uh...What's you's guys story anyway?"_

"I'm sure Johnny enlightened you."

_"Well yeah, that you grew up here, and you're good with cars."_

She shifted her eyes toward him briefly, "That's right."

He took a long drag and frowned,  _"Well shit, I dunno. Why'd you wanna join the Saints then? You girls seem like you're doing alright for yourselves."_

They stopped at a light, and she turned her head to him, "To keep a promise to my Uncle."

_"About?"_

"Does it really matter?"

_"Doesn't happen to have anything to do with his daughter, does it?"_

The light turned green, and Lin turned toward the road and sped off, offering him no answer to his question and no more conversation as the made their way to the last garage.

The boys were halfway through the shop, stuffing parts into their bags and the trunk when something caught Lin's attention. She quickly ran from the window and to her car, unlocking the glove compartment as she jumped in to the driver seat,

_**"Time to go boys!"** _

The sound of the far garage door opening and engines revving made the duo drop the remainder of the parts, and follow Lin's direction, Johnny hopping up front and grabbing something from the box, tossing one back to Troy while cocking the other and grinning madly.

"Bout time we had a little more excitement!"

"Yeah, too bad you won't even get to use 'em."

The yelling and sounds of engines quickly approaching were all the cue she needed, as Lin adjusted her mirror and sped off, popping off two shots and effectively sending the door crashing to the ground, as the zipped through the streets and back to Kasiyahani.


	2. Stalker Much?

__

"So, the daughter _is_ in charge."  
 _"Said it herself."_  
"That bastard- and here I was focusing on Yun and Lin."  
 _"Guess that stumbling drunk thing's just an act huh?"_

He took a final puff and flung the remainder toward the darkened streets below, taking a swig from the bottle in his hand before joining the other man at the table inside.

"No way- After his wife died? That man hasn't gone anywhere without a paper bag in his hands. Why d'you think Larry's the only other one we see? Raul just needs a chauffeur, not bodyguards."

Troy brought two fresh beers as he sat, his gesture going unnoticed as the older man tapped his chin in thought,  
"So I guess I don't get it. Why not just make his niece do the driving? Otherwise, why teach her, right?"  
 _"So she can be_ _ _ **Jae's**__ _getaway?_ "  
"Well why would... _ahh-_ Huh..."The elder made a face, hiding his reaction behind a nonchalant shrug,  
"Always keepin' us on our toes..."

He tuned out Troy's response with the shuffling of his jacket as he stood, tossing a folder toward the table. Troy looked up slightly puzzled.  
 _"What's that now?"_  
"Everything we've got on the girls."  
Troy sifted through the papers and chuckled, _"It's not much."_  
"Which is why you need to fill in the blanks."  
 _"Shit, easier said than done, they keep a lock on Jae, nobody'll let you near her, and Lin's about as loose-lipped as...what's this?"_

Troy held up the last page of the file, displaying two rather candid shots- one, of his first steps into the spa, complete with Jae in his arms. The next was a traffic camera still of the trio that night, laughing, after their last garage hit went out with a "bang".  
 _"Chief, what's this abo-"_  
"Personally? I don't think you'll have as big a problem getting the info as you make it seem."

Troy chugged his beer and said nothing, eyes following his boss as the man headed for the entrance,  
"Do whatever you have to, just get results."  
He opened the door, and Troy stood to see him out, the Chief turning momentarily to offer one more point of advice to his subordinate,  
"Just... Don't forget whose side _you're really_ on."

He offered a wave of his hand as he walked around the corner and out of sight, prompting Troy to shut the door and head back to his chair, muttering to himself as he downed the untouched beer still left on the table.

* * *

Jae stared at the screen and sighed. She was supposed to be working on some new advertisements, but found herself in a contemplative funk. With Lin being gone alongside Johnny and the Saints, and dad being too inebriated to even remember his name, let alone how to open his door, the spa was feeling lonelier than ever, and the overcast skies only helped to add to the depressing theme of her morning. The chiming of the door was a welcome distraction as she stood with a smile, her thoughts returning to several days prior, when she had been fixing the machine and the light above it. She chuckled softly, shaking her head as she straightened her outfit and headed out toward the lobby. _What an introduction...'who're you? The spoiled sheltered kid?' What an ass..._ Her smile and cheer immediately diminished once she realized who exactly had entered the spa. With a forced lift of her lips, she extended her hand to the man in front of her.

_"Miguelito. To what do I owe the pleasure?"_

The slightly older man offered her a firm handshake, while curiously looking around the lobby.  
"This place es mas mejor than I remember."  
 _"Rennovations'll do that."_  
"Si, si...so business going well?"  
 _"Extremely."_  
Oh bueno! That's good."

The man peered into a couple of service rooms, the back rooms, even testing a locked handle on one, before returning to the woman.  
"Donde esta tu papa?"  
 _"No se. Probably drunk and sleeping somewhere."_  
"Y mi amor?"  
 _" **Don't** call her that. Que necesitas Miguel? I'm rather busy..."_

Jae tried to excuse herself as headed toward the back office once again, when he forcefully seized her arm, turning her to face him. She merely stared at his hand, before raising an eyebrow to him.  
 _"Que haces, get your hands off me."_  
"Aww Lo siento chula, pero no puedo."  
He pulled out a gun and shoved it into her neck,  
"See, apparently a few little birdies decided it would be funny to come and rob my garage last week, pero, I have a very big investor coming to buy _este semana,_ so I'll need my things returned, _pronto."  
_  
The gun shoved a little deeper into her throat with the last words of his sentence as he twisted her arm and led her up to the roof.  
"So be a good girl, and tell me where it is."  
 _"And if I don't?"  
_ He stopped midstep, pulling her head back and eliciting a small whine from Jae,  
" _If you don't,_ I'll shove you off this building, _como tu madre."_

He pushed her up the rest of the stairs and outside, oblivious to the door that had unlocked and opened just under their feet.

* * *

He lit a cigarette and sighed as he sat in his usual spot on the stairs of the church. It was only noon, but between the recruits, the canonizing, and knocking half the cars off of Lin's 'must have' list, he was ready to call it a day. Dex and a few fellas suggested heading over to TeeNay, and he mulled the idea over a long drag. Boobs and beer were never a bad combo, but being dragged around by Lin all morning made his mind wander to Jae, and how their meeting had ended. He shook his head and ashed his cigarette. Sure, Boss had told him not to jump to conclusions, but he figured the man was only talking about the new recruit, and damn Julius just laughed when Troy came back, having already heard the story from Jae herself. He declined the group as they hopped in the car and left, stomping out his cigarette and stretching, as hurried footsteps could be heard approaching him from behind. Once the shouting started, he knew immediately who the voice belonged to.

"WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?"  
Lin.  
"You better be bringing her **here**."

She didn't even notice him while jumping the stairs and standing out in the street.  
"I'm outside...yeah I see you gu- JESUS!"

She leapt back toward the church as the Venom came to a screeching halt inches from the bottom stair, even spooking Troy for the moment. Johnny leapt out of the car and immediately to his passenger door, scooping a seriously battered and tattered Jae into his arms and up the stairs.

"I can walk fine Johnn-"  
 **"Shut the fuck up."**

He hiked her up, forcing her arms around his neck as Lin wrapped her hands around Jae's face. Troy's eyes widened at the sight.

_"Holy shit kid, you okay?"_

His voice startled the other two, oblivious to his presence from the start, while Jae softly smiled,  
"I just fell down some stairs"  
She tried to chuckle, but ended up coughing up blood instead.  
"I told you to shut the fuck up!" Johnny clung to her tightly as he shot a stern face at Troy,  
"You fuckin' stay outta it," was all he offered as he headed into the church to find Julius.

Troy tried to argue and follow, but was stopped by a sigh and a tight grip on his arm.

"You better leave 'em be, he can be pretty possessive of her sometimes."  
Something in her voice made him hesitant. _"W-why's that?"_  
 _"Just..._ forget it. Like Gat said- it's best to mind your business." She dropped his arm and followed after Johnny.  
"I..." He opened his mouth, but couldn't form words fast enough to reach his lips before she vanished into the church.

Something akin to curiosity seeped into his bones, more for himself then the job he was supposed to be doing. With a cautious approach and ever shifty eyes, Troy crept steadily to the backroom of the building where the leader of the gang usually resided. He was just in time to hear the Julius' reaction.

"Jae?! Holy shit. What happened babygirl?"  
"It...Miguel got out..."

Johnny laid Jae down on the ground and against his chest, his back to the wall and arms ever protectively around the poor girl. Lin and Julius knelt in front of them, concern and anger etched into the increasing lines on their anxious faces. Her strained response and heavy breathing made them all wince, faces softening as Johnny held her tighter and she told them what happened.

"If it hadn't been for Johnny..." the long explanation had taken a toll on her, eyes glossed over as they rolled back and her eyelids drooped. The 3 immediately panicked, Lin shouting her name, as Johnny shook her and Julius checked her pulse.

"Shell be alright, just passed out."

The others sighed with relief as the older man gently stroked her hair before looking to Johnny for more answers. He merely shrugged.  
"Shit Julius. The only reason I was there was because of Raul."

The other two gaped in awe, as Troy's ears perked up, and he slid into the doorway, taking advantage of the stunned group. Lin spoke up first.  
"What do you mean, you know Uncle can't..."  
"Fuck I know as well as you. Which is why I dropped everything when I saw that number."

Lin wasn't buying it. She argued with Johnny over the next few minutes and he finished what Jae had started saying. Julius sat in silence, taking in everything from all sides. When the duo's volume reached a proper level, he interrupted them,  
"So then, what happened to Raul?"

Johnny could only shake his head, as Lin stood,  
"He...he didn't make it."  
"What do you mean _he didn't make it?"_  
Their joint voices made Johnny hang his head lower, gripping Jae tighter than he had held her before,  
"Miguel was gonna throw her off the roof..."  
With that, Lin's fists went flying into the wall, as Julius let fly a whirlwind of curses and kicked his desk to pieces , that was all they needed to hear to understand.

Troy took the chaos as an opportunity to dip back into the shadows, and out into the main hall. He whipped out his phone to make a call, but reconsidered as the destruction taking place in the other room began dying down, opting to shoot off a quick text instead. He was joined by Julius as he was putting his phone away.

_"Hey Jules what happened to-"_ he started to ask, but quickly stopped as Julius raised a somber hand.  
"I need you to do me a favor player, an extremely important one."  
 _"Sure Julius, whatever you need."_  
The boss's eyes wandered to the doorway, where Lin and Johnny were standing.  
"Can you take Jae somewhere safe?"

**"YO! FUCK THAT JULIUS!"**

Johnny was quick to jump into the conversation as soon as he heard her name,  
"You know damn well the only person who is gonna be watching her tonight is **me**."  
"Johnny, you know we need to get that fucker." Lin tried to reason with him.  
"Yeah, and I also know that I ain't about to trust someone _we don't even fucking know_ to look after her."

"Johnny..."

"Look, you fuckers can go, take _his_ ass with you. But I'M the only one who's looking after her."

Johnny quickly turned on his heels and headed back into the office. Troy followed.  
"Look man, we're on the same-"

Johnny cocked his gun and aimed it at Troy.  
"You can't help her, **so don't fucking try**. _You don't know her like I do_."

Hands in the air, Troy stepped back a few feet, unwilling to test the man's patience.  
"Aight aight, damn, I figured you'd take bloodshed over bitches, but I guess even Frosty's got a soft spot."

Johnny didn't take to Troy's words lightly, and lunged at him when he turned away, only to be stopped by Lin.

"You wanna watch her, fine. We'll take Troy with us and settle this then. But you need to _promise me_ you'll keep her **safe**."  
"Lin you know I will."  
"Right...just like that last time?"

Johnny hung his head in shame, and kicked the door frame, eyes downcast and absolutely refusing to meet her's.

"That's what I thought." with a hand on Troy's shoulder, Lin lead him out, as they went back to Julius' side. Johnny emerged moments later with a softly snoring Jae in his arms. Julius nodded and the trio turned to leave, only stopping as Johnny called to Lin once more, his voice soft and almost inaudible. She walked over and took the moment to run her hand along her cousin's sleeping face, fixing one of her braids as she and Johnny exchanged a few more words, speaking only loud enough for the other to hear. Lin took a few steps back to the other men before Johnny called after her,

"Yeah...well you know she would be if..."

Lin shot him a stern look that cut him off, but he merely returned her glare. He shifted Jae in his arms before walking toward the front of the church and out of sight, as Lin made her way to the other two waiting across the room.

Troy had watched their exchange with curious eyes. He'd known Johnny for several months now, being the first one he met after signing up with Julius, but never in that time had he seen the man lose his cool or look helpless as he did when he had Jae in his arms. He wanted to ask Lin and Julius about it, but seeing their reaction to the poor girl, and gauging the atmosphere in the car as they drove, now probably wasn't a good time. He buried the questions he had and pulled out his cell phone, trying to help with the Miguel search in any way within his power, but even with his extensive network, the trio could only knock through the bastard's brothers at the garage. Even in their last breaths, all they said was fuck the Mendez's, and that 'the girl' will get what's coming to her, now that the Kingpin had fallen. Troy had been reluctant to hold his gun up to the temple of one of the brother's at first, but as they spat such hate-filled words toward the family, and especially of the girl Troy had already deemed as a helpless damsel, he had no problem pulling the trigger. On their way back to Johnny's, he fought with his conscience over whether he had done so for the justice of the force, or just for the girl.

* * *

Three days had passed and he had yet to see Johnny or Lin at the church. Julius had arched a brow at him when he finally asked of their whereabouts the following morning, simply stating that they were back at the spa, and probably hadn't left since they went back the morning after the incident. He asked Troy to go check them out, and hopefully bring one of the two back, as much as he wanted to make sure Jae was doing okay, he also needed his Lieutenants to help keep the gang organized, and felt uneasy the longer they were both away. Troy nodded and headed to his car, pulling out his phone as he started the engine and drove away.

_"So what should I do?"  
_ "You're the only one who can get close enough, we need all the information we can gather without making our presence known just yet."  
 _"Yeah, but..."  
_ "She's still recovering isn't she? I'm sure she'll be indoors. Just dig around outside and see if you find anything. This is the perfect chance for us, _for you_ \- take advantage."  
 _"...Alright."_

He hung up and tossed the phone to his backseat.

Troy pulled up to the darkened building and frowned. All the curtains were down, the lights off, and a sign apologizing to customers was hanging in the door window. He knocked a few times, but no answer, _obviously_ , he thought to himself as he searched around the building for a different entrance. He'd noticed the fire escape on the side, and looked around for anything that he could use to retrieve the ladder. The dumpster down by another building caught his eye, and when he found it was relatively empty and moveable, he put his strength into pushing it down the alley and underneath the walkway. As Troy finished, he thought he'd heard footsteps and turned around, but when nothing was there, he huffed and leaned against the side of the garbage, catching his breath.

"What are you doing?"

The sound of her voice startled him upright, making him hit his shoulder on a part of the dumpster. He cursed and she laughed.

"You deserve that, trying to sneak into my place."

He rounded the dumpster, but couldn't find where she was standing.

"Hah. Up here smarty."

He looked up to the fire escape and saw Jae waving down to him. He ran a hand through his hair and chuckled.

_"Guess I've been caught."_  
"Yeah, well you're not very sneaking, I saw you when you first pulled up."  
 _"So why didn't you let me in when I knocked?"_  
"Haha, Johnny and Lin barred that door up, I couldn't even open it if I wanted to right now."  
 _"Where are those two anyway? Julius..."_  
"Yeah, I know, I called Julius and they actually just left for the church not too long ago. Surprised they didn't see your car, but then again, they're not very observant." she smiled widely, and he couldn't help returning her grin.

_"So you're here alone? That's not very safe for you..."_

"Oh I'm not alone." Troy looked up at her quizzically.

"You're here aren't you?"  
 _"Yeah...well..."_

Just then Troy's cell phone went off.

"And that's Julius right?"

He looked down and noticed the texts. The first from Julius, who said that Lin and Johnny were at the church, so Troy needed to stay with Jae for the night. The second was from the Chief, who noted that now was the perfect opportunity to get inside, and that he'd be waiting to hear from his Lieutenant soon.

Troy looked back up to a smiling Jae, who simply laughed,

"So, be a good boy, and push that dumpster back, I'll meet you downstairs."

She quickly vanished into the building before Troy could protest.

* * *

"I would have never noticed this was a door."

"Right?! No one ever does, Johnny and Lin always forget where it is."

Jae had been waiting outside against a wall when Troy came huffing back, and with a push of a button, had opened a secret entrance to the basement of the spa. She grabbed his hand and lead him through a dark narrow walkway, through another hidden door leading into the walls and back up to the spa. On their way through, he noticed that the path split, and reminded himself to ask her about it later. Emerging from the wall and into a well maintained office, Troy couldn't help but be impressed.

"Your dad was pretty smart to install something like that through his business."

She shot him a sour look, and opened the door leading upstairs to her apartment,  
"I installed it."  
As soon as she was inside, she immediately headed for the kitchen, pulling a couple of beers from the fridge, setting them on the table, and then proceeding to stuff her arms with as much food as she could. She headed toward the counter, nodding to the table once Troy entered from the hallway,

"You hungry? I'm a great cook, and won't take no for an answer."

She tossed the ingredients on the counter and grabbed an opener for the bottles, popping off the tops and handing one to Troy.

_"Well what can I say then? If there's no alternative..."_ he took the bottle from her and smiled, _"Can I help with anything?"  
_ "No way! Make yourself at home, feel free to look around." She chugged half her beer and turned her back to him, grabbing a knife and getting to work.

He took the opportunity and did as she suggested, looking around the small apartment, and searching for anything that could be of use to the chief.

_"So...do you stay here by yourself?"  
_ "Yeah, my aunt and Lin live next door."  
 _"Johnny too?"_

"No- He used to live in the apartment building across the alley, but now he splits his time with you guys and his girl. He doesn't like being around here ever since..." her voice quivered slightly, but she quickly cleared her throat and continued, "The only reason he comes around now is to grab Lin for gang stuff."

She set her knife to the side and downed the rest of her beer, grabbing another out of the fridge and returning to her prep. Troy cocked his head slightly as he watched her, the agitation in her voice didn't miss his ears. Once she resumed her cutting, he went back to looking around.

" _If you ask me, I'd have thought that maybe_ you _were his girl. The way he treats you."_

"Ouch-SHIT!"

The clunk of the knife, and her shout turned him around immediately. She was running her hand under the faucet and he rushed over.  
"Hey you okay?!" Troy grabbed her arms from behind and looked over her shoulders.

She peeked over at him and blushed, ever aware of how close he was to her. She immediately looked down and shut off the water, shaking the excess off before grabbing a towel and checking her finger.  
"Oh! Uh..yeah I'm fine.. just nicked myself."

He saw the color rising in her cheeks and realized the position he was in. His hands went up in defense and he rubbed the back of his neck, stuttering out an apology and something about the tv, before promptly removing himself from the kitchen. Grinning to herself, Jae grabbed a Band-Aid from the drawer and slightly chuckled before grabbing a pan and starting dinner.

~QQ~

Troy offered to do the dishes, but she insisted on him just leaving them in the sink. He brought over two more beers as he sat down next to her.

_"Thanks, I haven't had a nice meal in a long time."_  
"No problem. I love having someone to cook for."

She unpaused the movie and they clinked their bottles together,

_"Though, I have to say, your taste in movies is..."_  
"Don't so much even think to utter a bad word about this movie!" She shot him a glare and he laughed.  
 _"Hah, no, I was gonna say pretty sweet. I haven't watched a shitty dubbed kung fu movie since I was a kid."_

She shoved him and pouted, and he laughed harder. Jae cuddled her throw pillow as he stole a glance at her. He had to admit, she was pretty laid back for the daughter of a prostitution king. For as much as he thought she probably couldn't hold her own in a fight, she was just as knowledgable about the business- laundering, pimping, street drugs- she could put any of his lab buddies or investigative colleagues to shame.

He was completely caught up in the movie and she couldn't help but smile. It was nice being able to talk to someone other than family, Johnny, or Julius. She recalled their first conversation, and her initial resentment toward him, but the night made her realize that maybe she was a little quick in her judgement of the man. The rest of her thoughts were lost as she closed her eyes momentarily, quickly springing them open when she felt something solid under the side of her head. She quickly straightened up and apologized, Troy simply smiling and squeezing closer to her, offering his shoulder once more. She smiled back and rested her head back down, lightly dozing through the rest of the movie. Once her breathing was steady and deep, Troy looked down. Her sleeping face made him bite the inside of his bottom lip, _damn, I'm gonna be in big trouble._


	3. Chapter 3

**_Rescue Me_ **

__  
((Definitions  
 _Ne/Aniyo- yes/no_   
_Anyonghasaeyo- hello, (literally have you been well)_   
_imo- aunt_   
_Gomawo- Thanks_   
_-a/-ya, is an ending that older people may use when they address a younger person))_

"The fuck is this shit?"

"What are you all jealous about? And isn't Eesh waiting for your ass?"

"Man, I'm not jealous, I just...whatever. I'm out anyway."

Lin smirked as a sullen Johnny stomped out of the apartment. The two had returned to the spa late in the day to find Troy and Jae cuddled up on the couch, fast asleep. She shook her head as she grabbed the remote from the table and turned on the TV. The loud static startled him awake, making Jae whine and snuggle into him more, as Lin cleared her throat and he quickly remembered exactly where he was.

"Getting a little cozy there, aren't we?"

Troy wiggled out from under Jae, stuttering out an excuse and apology, as Lin simply tossed him a blanket, noting the beer bottles covering the table.

"She's a heavy sleeper when she's been drinking, she'll probably be out for another few hours. Mind taking her to her room?" She didn't wait for an answer and began cleaning up the mess the two had made the night before.

_"Uh..yeah, sure."_ He scratched the back of his head, _"Sorry Lin, it's really not what it looks like, we just-"_

"It's fine. You're not the one I'm worried about anyway." she replied dryly as she turned the water on and started the dishes, tuning him out.

Troy shrugged and wrapped the blanket around the still sleeping woman, lifting her gently into his arms and trying his best not to sigh blissfully as she smiled softly and curled into his chest. He simpered at her as he headed to the back room of the apartment, gently pushing the door opened and stopping for a moment, taking in the brightness of her yellow walls, and the vast collection of oriental swords and knives that were lined along them. A low whistle left his lips and she shifted in his arms, bringing his attention back to her as he made his way to the bed to set her down. He lowered the blinds, the room growing darker as he sat down and pulled the blanket over her shoulders. Jae's eyelids fluttered slightly as she looked up sleepily at him, reaching out and softly stroking his cheek. She giggled when he nervously pulled away from her hand.

_"Sorry, Lin told me to bring you in here, I-I'm gonna go..."_

He turned to stand, but she grabbed his arm firmly, and he looked back into her dazed eyes,

"Where are you going handsome? Bring that goatee back here." she chuckled again and tried to pull him into bed. The unexpected tug caused him to land on his elbow fairly close to her pillow,

_"You gotta be still drunk huh?"_ Troy smirked and shook his head, _"Go back to sleep kid."_

"I jus.." Her lids became heavy again as her words slightly slurred, "I just wanted to say thank you."

He cocked his head, _"For what?"_ it took all of his will to force the words out calmly as he became increasingly aware of the mere inches separating their faces.

"For... keeping me company. I had a fun time with you. It was just what I needed."

She ran her hand once more down his cheek and through his goatee, "Thanks for looking after me."

She smiled sweetly and turned over, pulling the blanket around her before falling back asleep.

He stared at her back for a few moments, before daring to run a hand through her hair. She curled her shoulders and moaned sweetly, the exact reaction he had wanted and he grinned hard.

_"You're welcome."_ was all he said as he stood and exited the room, closing the door behind him. He noticed Lin with her back against the sink, drying some glasses and eyeing him suspiciously. He quickly wiped the huge grin off his face but he had already been caught. Lin simply shook her head and turned to put the dishes away.

"She's pretty amazing huh?"

Her words caught him off guard, _"Uh, well, I mean..."_

"Hah, you don't have to play stupid. She likes you too."

He rubbed the back of his neck as his cheeks burned, he couldn't believe how flustered he was getting over this.

_"Well... I.. you don't know that for sure..."_ he mentally kicked himself, _"Damn Lin, why you tellin' me this?"_

She simply shrugged. "She's my cousin. Of course I know for sure. I also know she's been through a lot. Not just in the past few weeks, but her whole life."

Lin turned around to face Troy once again.

"She does more than just run Kasiyahani. She's kept our whole family afloat since she was 10. She's our rock, she's always been our rock, her dad's after her mom died, Johnny's after his grandma died, and mine after..." Her eyes shifted momentarily as a waved of sadness passed through them. She quickly shook her head and made her way toward Troy.

"The last thing she needs is another man like you."

Troy flinched at the harshness in her words, the seriousness in her face kept his eyes glued to her, _"What do you mean, like me?"_

"You're just like Johnny. Although not as hot-headed, but you're just another gangbanger."  
 _"Hold up, I mean...yeah, but..."_

She held her palm up to his face.

"Doesn't matter. You joined the Saints right? Whatever your reason is, you're in."

Lin looked sadly toward the closed door, then down at her feet.

"She's had enough gangsters and wanna be bangers try to ruin her life. I won't give you the opportunity to do the same."  
 _"Lin, I'm not gonna-"_

She lifted her head and stared hard at him, her face contorting to something beyond anger.

"It doesn't matter. I know Julius asked you to look after her while we were gone, but from now on, you stay downstairs. I don't want you up here again, got it? You should probably go."

She nodded toward the door before heading back to the kitchen when she felt a grip on her upper arm. Lin closed her eyes and counted to five, not wanting to drop the poor man where he stood for making a poor choice.

_"Damn Lin, why won't you even give me..."_

She shook his hand off and threw a hard palm in his chest, causing him to take a few steps back, and a few deep breaths, while she pointed a finger to his face.

"I don't care what you have to say. We may be crew, but she's _family._ I won't let you break her."

Lin quickly turned on her heels and headed back to the kitchen to put the rest of the dishes away. Troy stood shocked for a moment, before grabbing his keys off the table and heading for the door. He opened it and stood for a moment, deciding whether he should risk another word, or just let it be. He opened his mouth, but after thinking over what Lin had said, he shut it again as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

A week had passed, and the spa was back in business as usual. The past few days had been busy, and didn't leave Jae much time for herself or her thoughts, having to cater to the junkies and her proper customers as well. When it was time to finally switch off the open sign, she sighed heavily with relief. She made her way back to the office when there was a knocking on the front door. Rolling her eyes, she grumbled before turning around and noticing who it was. The annoyance left her face and was replaced with a bright smile as she opened the door for him.

"Hey long time no see! What's up?"

He couldn't look into her eyes, and rubbed his face nervously, _"Is Lin around? She told me to come by tonight so we could lift some things she needed."_  
"Sure she's upstairs, come on up."

He went to follow her, but quickly remembered what her cousin had said several days ago.

_"Ah...you know. I'll just wait down here."_

Jae turned around and shot him a quizzical look.

"Why? She probably has to get ready, just come on-"  
 _"Nah. I'm a... Just tell her I'll be out in the car."_

She walked back to him and chuckled, "What? What's wrong with you? You got a fever or something?"

She joked as she tried to press her hand to his forehead. He quickly swatted her hand away, and backpedalled a few steps, leaving her starring at him dumbfounded.

"S-sorry. I just- I was just teasing." She looked down, and fiddled with her fingers for a moment, disappointed in his reaction, "I'll let her know you're waiting."

She quickly turned on her heels and he sighed sadly to himself, feeling bad about his childish reaction. He wanted nothing more than to flirt with her right back, but with the conversation that he and Lin had last week lingering in his mind, he just couldn't. Lin was right. He couldn't go around messing with the daughter of the infamous Kingpin, for more reasons than just because he was a gangbanger, as he thought of the _real_ boss that he reported to. He took the smokes out of his pocket as he stepped outside, lighting one as he sat on the stairs and waited for Lin.

~QQ~

"You sure you'll be alright by yourself? I can call Johnny if you want me to."  
"The last thing I need here is Johnny. I'll be alright Lin, don't.."

The phone in the apartment started to ring and the girls immediately fell silent. Only a handful of people had that particular number, and with all of them associated with the recently deceased Kingpin, it hadn't rang in a while. Jae walked over to it while Lin held a worried look on her face.

"H-hello?"  
"Hwa-ya? Is that you? You know who this is, ne?"

Jae mouthed something to Lin, who shook her head with a smile and walked away to finish getting ready.

"Ne, anyonghasaeyo Wu Imo. It's been quite a while, how have you been?"  
"Ne, ne, anyonghasaeyo! I'm glad you remembered! Say I know it's late, but I need some assistance. Hwa-ya, do you think you could come by and help me out for a bit? I promise I won't keep you too late.  
"I can do that. I'll have Lin drop me off. Is 30 minutes okay?"  
"Ne! Ne! Gomawo! I'll see you soon, and I'll make your favorite snack as thanks too!"

Jae laughed as she hung up the phone and Lin came back from the bathroom.

"Wu, huh? I haven't seen her in years."  
"Yeah, I guess she needs some help. You guys mind dropping me off over there? I can just take the bus back."  
"Huh, like hell you will. Call us when you're done. If we're not finished, I'll have Johnny come get you."  
"Hah. I'd rather take my chances on the bus."  
"No way cuz. You know all the shit that's been going down on the Row. You call me or Johnny."

Jae frowned slightly but nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah. You think you could make the effort to get me even if you're still busy though? Being alone with Johnny..."

Lin chuckled as the two girls made their way downstairs and to the front door.

"Haha of course, I'd rather do it myself anyway."

Lin walked over and exchanged a few words with Troy, who was waiting by the car at this point, while Jae re-locked the front door. She joined them at the car, where Troy had opened the back door for her, offering her a smile as he brought a cigarette to his lips.

_"Ridin' with us for a bit?"_

She simply nodded and climbed into the back, not even bothering to look him in the eyes. He shut the door and kicked himself mentally for being so standoffish earlier. He took shotgun as Lin climbed into the driver's seat and they headed over to Wu's place.

He spent the ride staring at her through the side mirror, while the cousins had an animated conversation about the old family friend. He knew he shouldn't, but the way her eyes lit, the way she smiled, he was taking in every little nuance of her. She was relaxed, comfortable, _happy_ , he hadn't seen much of this even in the night they had been together. He drifted into the memories of that evening as she leaned back and their eyes met in the mirror. She smiled shyly and looked away, but he kept his gaze fixed on her, and moments later, she looked into the mirror again. He smiled at her, and after her initial hesitation, she smiled back. His smile grew a little wider and she chuckled quietly, before shifting her eyes between the mirror and Lin. He raised an eyebrow at her before realizing that Lin had been asking him a question.

_"Oh...uh what?"_  
"Sheesh, falling asleep over there? I asked whether you wanted to hit El Garaje, or the chop shop over on Main first."  
 _"Does it matter? We're gonna get both anyway. Your call."_  
"Yeah that's true...alright..."

Lin went back to talking to herself and Troy looked back into the mirror as Jae tried to hide her laugh behind a hand. He mouthed a thanks to her, and she winked back, before offering Lin some suggestions about the shops as they rounded the corner to Wu's.

* * *

_"Why do I always feel like we're gonna get into more trouble than we actually do?"_  
"Because Johnny's usually with us?"  
 _"Huh, that's true."_

The duo laughed as they brought the last of the parts to their car, stuffing them into the trunk before hopping in the front and taking off, satisfied at how quickly the jobs had been taken care of. It had only taken them a couple hours to grab more than what they had come out for. Troy looked over at Lin while she continued driving.

_"So, you got any other places in mind?"_  
"Yeah, but they can wait until tomorrow or something. I wanna get back to Jae."

Troy nodded and went back to looking out the window as she drove back to the church. He wanted to ask her so many things, and clear up some others, but seeing as they had a really constructive and pleasant evening together, he didn't want to sour the mood by bringing up anything uncomfortable. They soon arrived at the church and Troy got out, thanking Lin before closing the door behind him. She offered a small wave before driving away. He pulled out his last cigarette from the pack and cursed as he lit it, taking a seat on the steps. No sooner had he stretched his legs out then his phone starting going off. He looked at the screen and answered immediately.

_"Hey Jules, what's up?"_  
"Hey playa, where you at?"  
 _"Uh, I just got back to the church, you need somethin?"_  
"I seen some VKs walking by, and a car full of Rollerz around too. Somethin's poppin off."  
 _"Alright, well where you at, I'll meet up with you and we can check it out."_

Julius gave him some directions and Troy promptly shut his phone. Noting that the boss was just a few blocks away, he opted for just walking over, quickly stepping inside the church to grab some guns, before heading off to find Julius.

~QQ~

She dialed the number a fourth time, but still, voicemail. _Dammit Jae, if you forgot to charge your phone again_ , Lin shook her head as she pulled up to the darkened building, her frustration turning to slight worry as she turned the car off. She and Troy had only been gone for 2 hours, and coming to help Wu usually took around 4, she noted from past experience. She quickly got out of the car and knocked on the woman's front door.

"Ah, Lin-a! What are you doing here?"  
"Anyong Imo, is Jae still here?"

A puzzled look crossed Wu's face and Lin immediately frowned.

"Aniyo. She left 45 minutes ago, she said she was going to wait for you at the ice cream shop down the street. Here, she left in such a hurry, she forgot the snacks I made her. "

Lin cursed under her breath and thanked Wu, rushing to her car and down the store the older woman had mentioned. She let a whirlwind of curses fly aloud when she discovered the store closed. She dialed her cousin's number again, and chucked her cell phone across the car at her voicemail.

"Dammit, dammit! If that girl could just listen one time..."

She quickly scanned her brain for places around the area that Jae would wander off to, setting her course and screeching her tires in a mad frenzy to find her cousin.

* * *

Jae happily scooped another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth as she walked along the road. She had finished organizing Wu's books a lot earlier than she had thought it would take, and figuring that Lin and Troy still had another hour to go before they were done, decided to reward herself with a sweet treat and a night walk. She hadn't ran into a single person, and wondered why Lin was so uptight about her being in this area by herself. She turned the corner and was greeted with a boxful of watches in her face.

"Watches! I got watches here! Yo, hey man! This shit'll cost you $600 in the store!"  
"Yeah, if it wasn't fake as fuck like these are."  
"Awww. Whatever!"

Jae laughed as the man went back to hustling his watches. She dumped her empty bowl into the trash and hiked her hood up as a couple of scantily dressed women came to her sides.

"Hey baby. We could show you a good time."

Jae paused a moment before looking at the two.

"Yeah? How much cut do you get back? I bet I could show you a better time, with better hours too."

The three got into a discussion as they continued their walk until they reached the end of the street. Three men dressed in yellow were just around the corner, staring at a tagging with spray paint cans in hand. Jae tightened her hood as the other two women stood behind her. The men in yellow were quickly greeted by some others in blue, and Jae got a sinking feeling in her stomach, suddenly upset with herself for not listening to Lin. When a bat cracked over one of the men's heads, Jae knew it was time to backtrack.

"W-we should probably get out of here."

The other two women agreed and they turned around the way they came, but it was too late. One of the men went quickly running passed as a spray can went flying over his head. Jae quickly shooed the women away as she stayed glued in her tracks, as frightened as she was, curiosity was getting the better of her and she wanted to see exactly who was involved. She slowly crept back to the corner, but halted once she heard a car pull up. The shots ringing into the night were her reassurance to leave, and she turned around once more to safety. But in the seconds that passed, the car could be heard squealing away, and as the driver took a bullet to the head, the car rounded the corner and swerved into her. She leapt out of the path just in time, eyes wide as a man in blue shot the remaining man in red, then a yellow clad one shot the man in blue. She pulled her hood tight as he set his sights on her, backpedalling into a wall as he simply shrugged.

"Wrong time, wrong place dog."

She squeezed her eyes shut and silently apologized to Lin for being so careless this time around. The gun fired, but she felt no pain, as she quickly patted herself down, and dared to open one eye.

"You aight playa?"

She felt an arm around her bringing her to her feet as another voice she recognized spoke,

_"C'mon Julius, let's move."_

She hobbled up with the help of Julius, and the three stumbled over the curb as the car that crashed suddenly exploded. She tumbled over to the sidewalk and her hood fell backwards.

"Are you fucking kidding!?"  
 _"JAE?!"_

The two men starred as she rolled her back to the wall, tears threatening to spill over in her eyes,

"I am so happy to see you two."

"Babygirl! What the hell are you doing out here? By yourself?!"

Julius's voice was beyond angry, while Troy's was laced with concern.

_"Are you okay? Does Lin know where you are?"_

Jae shook her head and Troy grimaced. She explained Wu's phone call to Julius and the urge to get some fresh air. She lowered her head as she sniffled.

"I-I'm sorry. I should have known better."

Troy frowned at the girl, before looking around and noting their surroundings,

_"Julius we better get out of here."_

The boss looked around and noticed groups of wandering passerbys, some doning colors of the men that were just wiped out.

"Right, I'll head back to the church, Troy you need to take Jae back to the spa."  
 _"I don't know Jules..."_  
"I'll be alright. You guys gotta go now though, can you walk babygirl?"

Jae simply nodded as the men helped her to her feet. Julius took out a set of keys and handed them to Troy as he slung Jae's arms around his shoulder.

"Take the car, I'll head back with the others." Julius look at the two, then a stern look crossed his face as his eyes met Troy's.

"Make sure you get her back SAFE. No matter what the cost."  
 _"I will Julius."_

The older man patted the girl's head and smiled at her.

"I'm sorry JuJu. I shouldn't have been so careless."  
"I'm not the one you're gonna have to be apologizing up the ass too, babygirl, save your strength for when you get home."

She chuckled softly as the older man left as Troy shrugged her arm up, wrapping his arm around her waist and causing Jae to let out a small whine.

_"S-sorry, are you hurt?"_  
"No, it's okay, I'm just a little sore."  
 _"Damn girl, what were you thinking? Didn't Lin tell you not to go anywhere else?"_

They made their way to the car as Jae stopped and looked up at Troy. He looked down at her smirk curiously.

"There's a lot of things Lin tells me not to do, doesn't mean that I always listen."

_"Well...yo-"_

He immediately shut his mouth and turned her to face him head on. He studied her face as she simply smiled back, shrugging her shoulders.

"What?"  
 _"What do you mean 'what'? Some things could cost you your wellbeing, even your LIFE, if you don't listen you know."_  
"Yeah? Well, how would I know if I don't take the risk every now and again right?"

His eyes shifted back and forth between hers, trying to read the intent behind her words..

_"You...you know, don't you?"_  
"Know what?"

Jae simply shifted out of his grasp and into the passenger side of the car. Troy stood bewildered for a moment at her earnest responses. He felt like she'd known everything about the conversation he and Lin had, and was speaking to his inner turmoil of the situation. He shook his head and rounded the corner to the driver seat, plopping in and looking over at her once more. She leaned over and placed her chin in her hand on top of the middle divider, smiling widely at him.

"Thanks for saving me. For real this time."

He couldn't process his thoughts fast enough, and before he knew it, his hand traced the side of her face, and played with the long braid down to the end. She closed her eyes and sighed, and he smiled.

_"I'm glad I was there. And I'm glad you're okay."_

Finally realizing what he was doing, he took his hand away and started the car, clearing his throat and patting down his pockets, then cursing to himself.

"Can we stop by the gas station? I could use something to drink."

He was thankful for her suggestion and merely nodded as he focused on the road and anything that would be a distraction from his present thoughts.

~QQ~

She sat on the hood of the car outside of the convenience store, sipping her smoothie as he came out, ripping his pack of cigarettes open and shoving one quickly into his mouth, nodding to her as he made his way back to the driver's seat.

_"Anywhere else you wanna go before we head back?"_  
"No, I'm good, I'm sure Lin will be waiting, fucking furious with me too I bet."  
 _"Hah, I would be too if I had to deal with you."_

Jae joined him in the car and they set off, heading back to the Spa.

"Aww, come on, I'm really not that bad."

Troy rolled his eyes and chuckled, blowing a few smoke rings her way, _"I can only imagine."_

She laughed and sipped on her drink, before sighing, "Sometimes, I...I just get really miserable. Being locked up all the time is no fun. And now since my dad..."

Jae went back to finishing her drink before she finished her sentence.

"I thought it was bad before. But now, I have _no_ freedom."

Troy looked over as she sighed again, putting her drink in the middle holder while she set her chin in her other hand, starring out the window. He grabbed her hand once she put the smoothie down, and smiled when her eyes turned to meet his.

_"Hey, it's for your safety, you know. And if you want, I'll come entertain you and keep you company sometime."_

She smiled softly before going back to the window, turning her hand and tightening her grip on his.

"Thanks. I may just take you up on that."

They continued to hold hands the rest of the ride back, only to let go once they saw Johnny and Lin pacing in front of the spa steps.

"Christ."  
 _"You'll be alright, I'm sure she's relieved you're back."_  
"Hah, you must not know Lin very well."

They pulled up in front of the spa, and Lin immediately opened the door and yanked Jae out of the car, patting the poor girl down while giving her an earful.

"I called Johnny, and then Julius, only to find out from him. WHAT THE FUCK JAE?! Why didn't you just stay put like I said?! I've been doing nothing but worrying my ass off. Holy fuck. Are you okay? What the hell happened? Let's go inside."

The other two headed inside as Jae turned back to the car where Troy was leaning against the side with a grin on his face.

_"See? Told you she was just worried."_  
"Haha, ever the optimist."

She looked over her shoulder and noted the two heading up the stairs before closing the distance between her and Troy.

"Thanks again. I really mean it. I owe you my life."  
 _"Hey, any time you need rescuing, I'll be there."_

He groaned inwardly at what he had just said, chastising himself for not being smoother and saying something cooler, when she brought her face to his cheek, planting the lightest kiss onto it and immediately snapping him from his thoughts. He bit his bottom lip as she smiled up at him.

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

Before he could stop himself, he cupped his hands around her face, softly stroking her cheeks and leaning in ever so gently. She placed her hands on top of his right when a figure returning down the stairs caught the corner of his eye, and he promptly let go of her as he broke eye contact, nodding his head back to the spa.

_"Y-you should probably go, before you get us both in trouble."_

She turned and saw Lin returning to the door, and groaned before quickly stepped back from Troy.

"Yeah. okay. Thanks again for everything. Really."

She turned to head back into the spa, offering a wave once she locked the front door. He waved back and sat back down in the car, smiling hard to himself before putting it into gear and heading back to the church, laughing at the sight of the two cousins fighting in his rearview mirror.


End file.
